JPH1123699A - Laser optical axis adjustment device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To match an optical axis easily by forming a screw groove to be engaged to the screw hole of the inner-periphery surface of a case on the outer- periphery surface in cylindrical shape, accommodating a guide with a taper surface at a tip, a laser light-emitting element, and a lens, providing a spherical surface in contact with the taper surface of the guide, and providing a retaining body that touches an adjustment bolt being screwed into a bottom surface. SOLUTION: A cylindrical case 1 has a screw groove 1a on an inner-periphery surface at one edge and a flange 1b at the other. A cylindrical guide 2 has a screw groove that is engaged to the screw 1a of the cylindrical case 1 on the outer-periphery surface of the cylindrical guide 2 and has a taper surface 2a at a tip. A laser light-emitting element 4 is mounted on the bottom surface of a retention body 3 and a lens 5 is mounted to the cylindrical part. A spherical surface 3a is formed at the tip of the retention body 3 and is engaged to the taper surface 2a of the guide 2. The tip of adjustment bolts 6a and 6c is engaged to the bottom surface of the retention body 3. In this case, when the optical axis of the laser beams of the light-emitting element 4 does not match the optical axis at a light reception side, the optical axis is adjusted by loosening or clamping adjustment bolts 6a and 6c.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laser optical axis adjusting device for finely adjusting the optical axis of a laser light emitting element and the optical axis of a light receiving element.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 3, an optical distance measuring apparatus converts a laser beam from a light emitting element 20 into a parallel light 21 via a lens (not shown), and irradiates the parallel light 21 on a measurement object 22 to scatter the light. The reflected light is condensed by the condenser lens 23, photoelectrically converted by the light receiving element 24, and the distance is measured by processing the light emission signal and the light reception signal of the laser light. In such an optical distance measuring apparatus, if the optical axes of the light emitting side and the light receiving side are different, the image of the laser light condensed by the condenser lens does not form an accurate position. Therefore, in order to adjust the optical axis of the laser beam, a conventional laser optical axis adjusting device is configured as shown in FIGS. Reference numeral 25 denotes a cylindrical case on the light emitting side, and mounting seats 26, 27, and 2 having a thread groove on the inner periphery of the cylindrical case 25.
8 are provided. Reference numeral 29 denotes a support bar made of a flexible metal material such as aluminum, and has leg pieces 29a, 29b, and 29c extending radially from the center of the case 25. The leg piece 2
An elongated hole 30 is provided at an end of 9a, and a bolt 31 is inserted into the elongated hole 30 to be fixed to a thread groove of the mounting seat 26. A hole is provided at an end of the leg piece 29b, and a bolt 32 is inserted into the hole to be fixed to a thread groove of the mounting seat 27. An elongated hole (not shown) is provided at an end of the leg piece 29c, and a bolt 33 is inserted into this hole to be fixed to a thread groove of the mounting seat 27. The operation of adjusting the optical axis of the laser light of the laser optical axis adjusting device thus configured is performed as follows. First, the leg pieces 29a, 29b of the support bar 29 are mounted on the mounting seats 26, 27 of the case 25 with bolts 31, 32,
The leg piece 29 c of the support bar 29 is mounted on the mounting seat 28 of the case 25. The light emitting element 34 is mounted on the support 29. When the optical axis of the laser beam from the light emitting element 34 does not coincide with the optical axis on the light receiving side, the bolts 31
The support metal 29 is moved in the axial direction of the case 25 around the mounting position of the bolt 32 of the leg piece 29 on one side as a center and finely adjusted, and the bolt 31 is tightened to attach the leg piece 29a of the support metal 29 to the case 25. It is fixed to the seat 26. Next, bolt 3
When the leg 3 is loosened and the leg piece 29c is moved horizontally, the leg pieces 29a and 29b of the support bar 29 are twisted and moved at right angles to the axial direction of the case 25 for fine adjustment, and the bolt 33 is tightened for fine adjustment.

However, in the conventional laser beam axis adjusting device, the adjustment of the case 25 in the axial direction and the adjustment in the direction perpendicular to the axis are separately performed, so that the optical axis of the laser beam is adjusted. It was troublesome. When adjusting in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the legs 29a, 29
In order to adjust by bending the b, the supporting metal 29 could not be reduced. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to simplify adjustment of optical axis alignment of laser light.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention converts a laser beam from a laser light emitting element into a parallel beam through a lens, irradiates the parallel beam to a measuring object, and In the laser optical axis adjusting device that adjusts the optical axis on the light emitting element side and the optical axis on the light receiving element side in an optical distance measuring device that receives the reflected light from and measures the distance to the target object, the inner peripheral surface on one side A screw groove, a cylindrical case having a screw groove on the bottom surface on the other side, and a screw groove which engages with a screw groove on the inner peripheral surface of the case on the cylindrical outer peripheral surface, and has a tapered surface at the tip. A guide provided with the laser light emitting element and the lens housed therein, a tip end having a spherical surface in contact with the tapered surface of the guide, and a bottom surface contacting with an adjustment bolt screwed into a screw groove in the bottom surface of the case. Provided.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of an optical axis adjusting device showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the optical axis adjusting device. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a cylindrical case, in which a thread groove 1a is provided on the inner peripheral surface at one end, and a flange 1b is provided at the other end. The flange 1b is provided with a thread groove 1c.
Reference numeral 2 denotes a guide formed in a cylindrical shape.
And a tapered surface 2a is provided at the tip. Numeral 3 is a cylindrical holder, and this holder 3
The laser light emitting element 4 is mounted on the bottom plate of
Is installed. The tip of the holding body 3 is formed in a spherical surface 3a, and is engaged with the tapered surface 2a of the guide 2. 6
Reference numerals a, 6b, and 6c denote adjustment bolts that engage with thread grooves provided on the flange 1b of the case 1. The adjustment bolts 6a, 6c
The tips of b and 6c are engaged with the bottom surface of the holder 3. Next, the adjustment of the optical axis of the optical axis adjusting device thus configured will be described. When the optical axis of the laser beam of the light emitting element 4 does not coincide with the optical axis of the light receiving side, the adjusting bolts 6a, 6b, 6c screwed into the flange 1b of the case 1 are slightly loosened, and one adjusting bolt 6a is tightened. And the holder 3
The holder 3 tilts along the tapered surface 2a of the guide 2 to adjust the optical axis. Further, when the optical axis on the light emitting side does not coincide with the optical axis on the light receiving side, the adjusting bolt 6b or the adjusting bolt 6c is tightened to adjust the optical axis. Therefore, the optical axis on the light emitting side and the optical axis on the light receiving side can be easily adjusted.

[0006]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the adjustment bolt is tightened, the spherical surface at the tip of the holder follows the tapered surface of the guide and is integrated with the lens and the light emitting element attached to the holder. Since the optical axis is adjusted by tilting, the optical axis adjustment work is simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of an optical axis adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the optical axis adjusting device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an optical distance measuring device.

FIG. 4 is a front sectional view of a conventional optical axis adjusting device.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a conventional optical axis adjusting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 case, 1a thread groove, 1b flange, 1
c thread groove, 2 guide, 2a tapered surface, 3 holder, 4 laser light emitting element, 5 lens, 6, 6
a, 6b, 6c adjustment bolt,

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A laser light emitted from a laser light emitting element (4) is converted into parallel light through a lens (5) and radiated to a measurement object, and light reflected from the measurement object is received to reach the object. In the laser optical axis adjusting device for aligning the optical axis on the light emitting element side and the optical axis on the light receiving element side in the optical distance measuring device for measuring the distance between the two, a thread groove (1a) is provided on the inner peripheral surface on one side, and A cylindrical case (1) having a screw groove (1c) on the bottom surface, and a screw groove engaging with the screw groove (1a) on the inner peripheral surface of the case (1) on the cylindrical outer peripheral surface. Tapered surface (2
a) containing a guide (2), the laser light emitting element (4) and a lens (5);
At the tip, a spherical surface (3) contacting the tapered surface (2a) of the guide
a) having, on its bottom surface, a holder (3) which comes into contact with adjusting bolts (6a), (6b), and (6c) screwed into screw grooves (1c) on the bottom surface of the case. Optical axis adjustment device. [0001]